Interview of the Charge d'affaires of Belarus in Belgium to TASS (April 6, 2026, Brussels)

Under the slogan of “the path to Europe,” Minsk is being urged to dismantle its economic model.

Brussels is no longer restrained about openly declaring a course towards separating Belarus from the Union State and drawing it into the EU's orbit, instead of the past arguments about “democracy”. This was stated by Charge d'affaires of Belarus in Brussels Sergey Panasiuk in an interview with TASS.

“Indeed, such a change in the rhetoric of Brussels has been noted recently. If earlier the EU's intentions to reformat Belarus to European standards were carefully disguised by slogans about sovereignty, independence and democracy, today Brussels is no longer shy about openly declaring Minsk's course towards joining a “prosperous Europe,” he said, commenting on the frequent meetings in European institutions with representatives of the Belarusian radical opposition.

“Belarus is already Europe, and it is calmly and consistently following its European path, which it forms in its interests together with its allies and partners,” the diplomat noted. The diplomat outlined the need to “note a number of important details that are deliberately hushed up by the "architects" of the new "European future."

Are there any advantages? 

He stressed that all the slogans about a new "European path" are being thrown out by Brussels "in conjunction with ensuring the security of Europe," as well as some ephemeral "better democratic future for Belarusians." "However, not a single advocate of this idea in Europe has ever outlined what this "new European future" will consist of in terms of economics and social guarantees for the population of Belarus. Perhaps the reason for such timid silence lies in the complete absence of such advantages?" said Panasiuk.

Catastrophic consequences 

"It is obvious that the interests of ordinary Belarusians are of the last concern to Westerners. There are doubts that Western politicians can even imagine the magnitude of the large-scale destructive processes that such a restructuring of the Belarusian national economy system, which is so closely integrated into the format of the EAEU, the CIS and the Union State, would hypothetically entail," he noted. "How disastrous such experiments could be for the population and the economy of Belarus, which would plunge the country into decades of deindustrialization, unemployment, hyperinflation, and a sharp decline in the standard of living of the population."

Breakdown of economic model

The Head of the diplomatic mission emphasized that it was "about breaking the entire current economic model of Belarus, the inevitable withdrawal of his country from the EAEU, since it could not simultaneously be in two customs unions." This would entail the restoration of a full-fledged customs border with Russia, the termination of access to Russian energy resources at internal integration prices, and the loss of a significant part of the CIS market, which currently consumes up to 70% of Belarusian exports.

"The loss of customary forms and methods of doing business will lead to a significant increase in the cost of Belarusian oil refining and petrochemical products, and the bankruptcy of a significant number of industrial enterprises operating in close cooperation with eastern partners. The remaining enterprises will turn out to be uncompetitive in Europe due to non-compliance with EU technical regulations and environmental standards, which require, among other things, a jump transition from GOSTs and EAEU standards to EU directives," continued Sergey Panasiuk.

"Breaking up the single economic space in the EAEU format will be a challenge for the logistics industry in Belarus. The problem of railway track (width) will become extremely difficult and costly. The desynchronization of the Belarusian unified energy system with Russia and its connection to the continental network of Europe will take decades and require multibillion investments in modernization, with a high probability that the EU will demand the shutdown of the Belarusian NPP. All this, of course, will affect the cost of electricity for consumers and industry, plunging the country into dependence on alternative sources of energy supplies at many times higher prices," he explained.

"The forced implementation of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy will lead to the destruction of Belarus' pride – an efficient world–class agricultural system," the Charge d'affaires stressed.

Jeopardizing people's interests 

"This is only a small part of the problems, to be added by a whole range of socio-economic consequences for Belarusian citizens. Prolonged mass unemployment, increase in utility tariffs, unprecedented migration shock, significant increase in the cost of medical care and decrease in its availability are inevitable. We have seen such scenarios when other states joined the EU. But it would be even more difficult for us because of the deep level of regional integration," he said.

A simple way out

"Even such a cursory analysis of the consequences is enough to put a simple question: why do Belarusians need all this? For Europe not to be afraid of Russia? Obviously, such a large-scale crisis in Belarus, which will last for decades, is definitely not worth such experiments. And maybe it is necessary just to resume constructive dialogue with both Minsk and Moscow?" the Belarusian diplomat asked rhetorically.

"For example, with regard to Belarus, the EU should be interested in discussing issues of common indivisible security, joint border protection, combating smuggling and organized crime, regulating migration, ensuring logistics and freedom of movement, supplying sought-after woodworking products, food, machinery, and resuming humanitarian cooperation. And now, as it turned out, the experience of the Belarusian NPP can be in demand," Panasiuk continued.

"It would be very interesting to listen to debates in the European Parliament on such issues, i.e. on the topic of what is best for Belarusians. To hear arguments about mutually beneficial cooperation, providing Belarusians with jobs, food, affordable medical care, and normal energy prices. But it turns out that everything is somehow more about ephemeral freedoms, hypothetical values and European rules. Somehow, things don't work out here, if you look at it from the point of view of the interests of the Belarusian people, and of the Europeans as well," he noted.

Pillar of stability 

"When we talk about cooperation in the format of the CIS, the EAEU and the Union State, the 30th anniversary of which, by the way, we are celebrating these days, it is one of the essential elements of the stability of the functioning of the Belarusian state, including economic, technological, food one, which our European neighbors are so worried about, — he said— We are talking about a whole range of advantages that are clear for Belarusians, i.e. steady movement towards technological sovereignty, effective industrial cooperation, provision of energy resources at affordable prices, joint achievements in such high-tech industries as nuclear energy, space exploration, bio- and nanotechnology, microelectronics, petrochemistry, and mechanical engineering."

"Of course, the important ones are also cultural community, ability to communicate in the same language, traditional historical ties and coordinated security policy, coupled with the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the members of mentioned integration unions" the head of the diplomatic mission said.

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